Ten Tips to Create More Life for Your Life

When people begin to investigate career change, often they don't want a new career at all. They love their career -- but they also want time for creating a life outside work. As a lifetime leisure-seeker, I've created ten tips to help you get started on the quest for "more time in your life -- and more fun."

1. Decide where leisure ranks on your list of values. Are you working to pay for something that you don't value very much?

2. Seize moments during the day, evening, lunchtime and weekend. Time management guru Alan Lakein calls this the "Swiss cheese method:" using the holes. Think "fun" in fifteen-minute segments.

3. Buy leisure time. Hiring a teenager to mow your lawn may give you an hour or more, depending on the size of your property. Get even more creative. For a price, your pet-sitter might be persuaded to take Fluffy to the vet and Fido to the groomer.

4. Stop doing things that nobody will miss.

I once worked with someone who stopped answering requests for reports from "senior management." When a vice president asked, "Where is your report?" he would prepare one on the spot. Most of the time, nobody noticed!

Same goes for housekeeping: do you need the "cleanest house in town" award?

5. Set limits and set them again. Saying "no" to invitations is a beginning. You can also define your scope: "I will be happy to help as long as I can do the work on Saturday."

I've role-played scenarios with clients who think the earth will cave in if they say "no." Often they're amazed to find nobody missed them.

6. Stop losing energy to procrastination or fear. If you dread making that call or put off changing that light bulb, do it now and enjoy leisure, guilt-free.

7. Ignore the pressure of, "Everybody else is participating." Chances are everybody else is miserable -- or isn't doing any more than you are.

8. Prioritize your time for energy boosters and time expanders? Meditation, journal writing and exercise will increase your energy and miraculously add hours to your day.

9. Grab a large block of time each week to do exactly what you want. Two hours? A whole afternoon? An afternoon in an art museum (or an evening at a basketball game) will often unravel the knots that keep you working late.

10. Call for outside help if you're still trapped by the "should" monitor. Find a friend, counselor or coach -- someone who can offer you an objective insight and clarify priorities.

Bonus tip: Remind yourself every day: Very few people on their deathbed say, "I wish I'd spent more time at the office," or, "I should have done more dusting." Will you be one of the few?

RELATED ARTICLESWhy are You Living?
It was 4,O'Clock in the morning, my regular time to leave my bed and prepare myself for the day's activities. But today, it was special?some thoughts were troubling the peace of my find.
How To Motivate Yourself For Success?
I was having coffee with my friend the other day. He just joined a multi-level marketing company.
If You Are Rejected!
This article exemplifies the inner working of emotional intelligence. Effectively working through one tough situation at a time can build our emotional competence.
Perseverance As A Virtue
"Through perseverance many people win success out of what seemed destined to be certain failure." - Benjamin Disraeli (1804 - 1881) - British Statesman, Prime MinisterLet's face it: life is tough.
10 Things To Do This Summer
Looking for a summer project? How about working on who you are, and what kind of life you really want to live? Here's some ideas.1.
7 Steps to a New Life Overseas
Research shows that at any one time more than half of us are dreaming of a new life overseas, but few actually succeed in making the transition from fantasy to reality.To completely turn everything on its head and start your life all over again in a foreign country is an incredible undertaking and one that many dream of but most ultimately shy away from.
Achieving Your Dreams
Have you achieved your dreams? Dreams are an important part of our lives and should not be ignored. Our dreams inspire us to achieve unbelievable deeds, create stunning works of art, bring to life the impossible and give us hope and strength to look toward tomorrow with optimism and determination.
Were Good at the Things We Like
Read that again. It doesn't say "We like the things we're good at," though that's true as well.
Motivation: 3 Powerful Quotes from Golfer Tiger Woods
I am not a golfer, unless you count an occasional game of putt-putt. I'm not even a fan of the game.
Mastering the Problem of Everyday Living
People are unhappy and defeated by their everyday problems that arise in life. You should know that life is full of ups and downs.
The ONE Question Winners ALWAYS Ask?.
Over the past several years I have experienced my fair share of success. However, it has not been without its fair share of obstacles and setbacks.
Have A Crack!
For everyone the New Year is now in full swing. There is also a percentage of us that are wondering where the last few months went.
After the Storm......
Have you ever wondered why is it that after we go through a bad phase in life we seem to come out better for it? It use topuzzle me too until recently after I stared down a gunman'snozzle I realized why.If you have ever been in a situation like I did and survived totell the tale you would be more than grateful for everything.
Ahead of the Curve to be on Top
I once heard a statement that no matter how good you think you are, there is always someone else who is better. This appears to be a pessimistic view even to a point of degrading one's self-worth.
7 Stepping-stones to Career Growth and Excellence
Achieving excellence in our work is an integral part of feeling genuinely satisfied in life. We want our careers or businesses to blossom, making us financially secure and content with our achievements.
Right Action & Right Effort: The Keys to Martial Arts Mastery, Keys 3 &4
In the philosophical teachings that form the base for our Warrior Concepts Life Mastery Program, there is a model by which we can examine our thoughts, words, and actions from eight distinct perspectives. These eight "paths" which contribute to both who we are and how we associate with the world around us include our:1.
A Woman's Road To True Beauty
We live in a world where society dictates the norm. In today's society, beauty becomes so stringent that many women develop distorted views of body images and become frustrated at not being able to obtain the "ideal figure.
That One Thing That Guarantees Your Unlimited Motivation And Success
What can you do when you do not feel like getting started? When procrastination takes over..
The Toughest Decision of All: Get Out or Get Going!
Many of us are influenced by the sports ethic: Never give up! When a basketball team is down by 20 with 30 seconds on the clock, the players never stop working. Spectators might be filing out, and the winning team might be deep into the bench, but the game goes on.
4 Simple Ways To Get Over Your Need For Acceptance... And Get On With Your Life
Imagine what your life would be like if you could just be yourself, without thinking twice about what other people think of you! Here are four quick tips that will help you get over your need for acceptance. Make these four things a part of your daily routine and you'll find that people will judge you less and accept you more!1.